Priority #1: “Health status of children” remains as a continued priority for the Early Childhood Area Board in an effort to make sure every child will grow safe, healthy, socially well adjusted and ready to learn. Thus, the opportunity for health barriers will be eliminated from keeping a child from reaching his or her full potential.
Priority #2: “High quality family support and parent education opportunities.” This priority has been modified to stress the importance of providing high quality family support and to also include high quality parent education. The Early Childhood Advisory Committee and the Early Childhood Area Board recognized from the review of the assessments and surveys, along with statistical information, that now more than ever it is essential to be in the homes of families with young children, providing support and education to parents that in turn will benefit the children. The Board’s desire is for those services to be unsurpassed so every child will have the opportunity to grow safe, healthy, socially well adjusted and ready to learn.

Priority #3: “High quality preschool environments with capacity to serve all preschool age children within the local Early Childhood Area.” This is only somewhat modified from the previous priority by the addition of “capacity to serve all preschool age children within the local Early Childhood Area.” The Early Childhood Advisory Committee and the Early Childhood Area Board feel that it is more important to provide “high” quality preschool environments rather than offer inadequate preschool environments just to offer preschool. The review of the assessments and surveys indicated that many individuals are not conscious of quality preschool environments. The Board will work with Child Care Resource and Referral to inform community members and parents what a quality preschool is. The need was also identified to ensure high quality preschool environments that would have the capacity to serve all preschool age children within the local Early Childhood Area. This will reinforce the importance for preschool children to receive an optimum educational experience that will allow a child to grow safe, healthy, socially well adjusted and ready to learn upon entering kindergarten.

Priority #4: “High quality child care environments with adequate capacity.” A portion of this was included in a previous priority. However, it is felt that it should be a priority of its own, stressing the quality factor within child care environments, and also to ensure that the capacity is there for those that require child care. The Board’s intentions are to bolster efforts that will allow a child to grow safe, healthy, socially well adjusted and ready to learn upon entering kindergarten.
Indicators of the Corner Counties Early Childhood Area Board

Prior indicators that were retained for use:

Number of children entering kindergarten with preschool experience. Valid information and would like to continue to track.

Indicators that were added:

Number of children age 9-35 months receiving lead screenings. Health indicator.

Number of preschool slots (includes Head Start). Tracking slots to ensure there is capacity to serve all preschool age children and their families that want this opportunity.

Number of preschools with a Level 3, 4, or 5 QRS rating. Quality indicator. At the May 24, 2011 Board meeting the Board approved modifying this indicator to read:

Number of preschools that have obtained or maintained a Level 3, 4 or 5 QRS rating, or a QPPS Verification or follow the Head Start Standards.

This was modified to recognize those preschools that have implemented or achieved quality by recognizing additional quality practices.

Number of registered and licensed child care slots. Tracking slots to ensure there is capacity to serve children and families that need this service.

Number of child care providers (centers and homes) with a Level 3, 4, or 5 QRS rating. Quality indicator.

Number of credentialed family support/parent education programs. Quality indicator.

Number of confirmed child abused children age 0-5. Secure and nurturing families and environments. At the May 24, 2011 Board meeting the Board approved modifying the indicator to read:

Number of confirmed abused children ages 0-5.

The detailed indicator matrix on pages 18-24 serves as a quick reference of the indicator trends within the Corner Counties Early Childhood Area.

Strategies of the Corner Counties Early Childhood Area Board

The Early Childhood Area Board in collaboration with the Corner Counties Early Childhood Advisory Committee developed strategies that were directly related to one or more of the Board’s priorities. The Corner Counties Board believes that through a strategic approach they can attain their priorities, consequently impacting the State’s five result areas.

To encourage educational opportunities and outreach in areas of: health status of children that may include but are not limited to: nutritional education; lead, oral, and vision screenings; and healthy mental and emotional development.

To encourage professional development and attainment of quality program certification: QRS, QPPS, and ECERS.

To encourage access for every child to a high quality preschool environment through preschool tuition grants and collaboration with all other providers of preschool programs within the eight school districts.

To encourage family support programs to provide evidence based, best practice methodology for their families.

To encourage and support the family support programs to reach their goal of accreditation with either the state credentialing or national accreditation program.

To encourage child care providers to become registered or licensed with the State.

To encourage child care providers to enroll in the QRS and strive to progress and/or maintain the highest level possible.

To educate the community concerning what a high quality child care provider and/or preschool program entails.

Corner Counties Early Childhood Area Process for Awarding Funds

The Corner Counties Early Childhood Area Board awards Early Childhood Area funds each year through a competitive process by means of a Request for Proposal (RFP). Those choosing to respond to the request with a proposal must follow the application guidelines, requirements, and also meet the eligibility standards as outlined with the RFP. The RFP includes a list of the State Results, Board’s Priorities, and Indicators. Those choosing to respond with a proposal must identify one or more of the priorities their project/program will address. Other components within the RFP are:

Iowa Code Chapter 256I states an Early Childhood Area Board shall identify all federal, state, local and private funding sources including funding estimates available in the early childhood Iowa area that will be used to provide services to children from zero through age five. The Early Childhood Area Board shall also describe how funding sources will be used collaboratively and the degree to which the sources can be combined to provide necessary services to young children and their families.

Process Used to Gather Information

The Early Childhood Area Board chose to obtain this information by first identifying all agencies and/or organizations within every community in Fremont and Page Counties that provided services to children from zero through five years of age. The Early Childhood Area Director, on behalf of the Board, compiled and updated this information via telephone calls and email requests. The result of the fiscal assessment reflects a good faith effort in gathering the required information.

Collaborative Funding

The Early Childhood Area Board has at all times encouraged the contracted providers to solicit funds from additional funding sources in a true collaborative effort. A quick review of the Fiscal Assessment confirms that there is a multitude of collaborative funding taking place within the Early Childhood Area. Early Childhood funding collaboratives include:

The five licensed centers within the two county area are blending Federal, State, Early Childhood, Local, and Private funding resources to provide services to children.

Resources within both private and public preschools as well as funding through the Early Childhood Scholarships and Transportation Assistance are being utilized to support children in 10 different preschool settings.

The Fremont County Head Start Program utilizes Federal and Early Childhood Funds to provide transportation assistance for children.

Fremont County Extension, Page County Extension, and Southwest Iowa Families, Inc. blend State, Local, Private, and Early Childhood funds to provide family support and parent education services to families with the two county area. These entities also collaborate to ensure there is no duplication of services.

No less than the State percentage rate: State percentage rate for this same time period: 80.9%

Fremont County: 75.3%

Page County: 55.9%

Combined average: 65.5%

State Average: 80.9%

Analysis of data: The most recent statistics indicate both Fremont and Page Counties fell below the State rate. Since the Board has funded lead testing within the preschools since the 2008-2009 school- year there has been an increase from 2007, but a decrease from 2008. The Board hopes that there will be an increased awareness among parents in regard to the importance of early detection. The children the Board funds the screens for are over the age of 36 months. The Board will continue to emphasize the importance of early screening at local child fairs, to family support/parent education programs, daycares, preschools and to the general public through news releases within local papers.

15 pre-K slots – Clarinda
Total 4 year old slots in Fremont Co.: 101Total 4 & 5 year old slots in Page Co.:

297Overall Total 4 & 5 year old slots: 398Total children enrolled in Kindergarten Fall 2010 by county:

Fremont Co. – 84

Page Co. - 183Total children enrolled in Kindergarten Fall 2010 – 183Analysis of Data: The Board feels that since the number of children enrolled in Kindergarten by County is less than the total number of 4 year old slots in Fremont County and 4 and 5 year old slots in Page County that there is adequate availability.

Analysis of Data: Those districts with percentages below 100% would indicate children that are being home schooled, parents opting not to provide a preschool education, or parents that felt they did not have the means to send their child to preschool. The Board continues to take steps to make sure the public is aware of preschool grant opportunities.

Number of preschools that have obtained or maintained a Level 3, 4, or 5 QRS rating, or a QPPS Verification or follow the Head Start Standards

To have no less than 75% of eligible preschools attain one or more of the following quality measures: QRS Level 3, 4, or 5; QPPS Verification or follow the Head Start Standards.

Fremont Co.

Farragut with a Level 4

Great Beginnings (Sidney) with a Level 3

Fremont-Mills with a Level 4

Hamburg – QPPS Verification

Page Co.

Clarinda Community Preschool - Level 3

Essex Child Care Center - Level 4

South Page Preschool – Level 4

Turnbull Child Development Center – Level 4

Head Start Programs

Fremont Co. Head Start in Hamburg

Clarinda Head Start

Shenandoah Head Start

Those without a rating of 3,4, or 5:

Clarinda Garfield Preschool-Level 2

Noah’s Ark Preschool-not participating

Shenandoah Public Preschool-not participating

Analysis of data: The Board feels that since the time they stipulated quality building in order to receive early childhood funding they have almost doubled the percent of high quality preschool environments. The Board will continue to encourage the preschool programs at a minimum to maintain their quality or achieve an additional or higher level of quality.

Number of registered and licensed child care slots

C – Secure and nurturing child care environments

Child Care Resource and Referral for number of slots. Woods and Poole (0-5 Population estimates for calendar year 2008.)

Fremont–489

Page–979

Total–1468

822 slots that serve 56% of the 1,468 0-5 population for 2008

822 slots that serve 56% of the 1,468

0-5 pop. for 2008

Source: Woods & Poole (0-5 Popu-lation Esti-mates for 2008)

812 slots that serve 52% of the 1,566 0-5 pop. for 2009
Source: Woods and Poole (0-5 Population Estimates for 2009)

748 slots that serve 48% of the 1,566

0-5 pop. for 2010

(2010)
Source: Woods and Poole (0-5 Popula-tion Es-timates for 2010)

Maintain slots equal to 50% of the 0-5 population.

Licensed center capacity:

Grandma’s House Daycare – 97 (at any one time)

Essex Child Care Center – 55 (at any one time)

Kornerstone Kid’s Child Care Center – 90 (at any one time)

St John Noah’s Ark – 80 (at any one time, also includes preschool numbers)

Turnbull Child Development Center – 182 (at any one time)

Registered home child care providers as of June 30, 2010:

Fremont Co. – 11 registered providers w/120 slots

Page Co. – 12 registered providers w/124 slots

Total child care slots: 748Analysis of data: The Board has examined the information reported by Child Care Resource and Referral for Fremont and Page Counties and realizes that there has been a loss of 64 child care slots. Several factors to consider have been the economic recession for the last two years which in turn has resulted in more family, friend and neighbor care. Also, the loss of registered providers has been discussed and one factor that has impacted this according to CCR&R has been the lead inspections in the homes and if indeed the home needs to be eradicated of the lead the providers does not have the financial means to do so and gives up the registration.

Number of child care providers (centers and homes) with a Level 3, 4, or 5 QRS Rating

C – Secure and nurturing child care environments

Child Care Resource and Referral and Iowa Dept. of Human Services

2

(Spring 2009)

2

(Spring 2009)

4

(Spring 2010)

5

(Spring 2011)

Increase by 2 each year.

Page County

Essex Child Care Center – Level 4

Grandma’s House Day Care – Level 3

Turnbull Child Development Center – Level 4

Fremont County

Kornerstone Kids Child Care – Level 4

Registered Home Providers:

Kim Reed – Level 3

Analysis of data: The Board feels that although the goal was not met at 100% the numbers do reflect an increase. The Board conducted a survey with the registered home providers to see if and what any obstacles were that was keeping the provider from participating in QRS. The survey revealed that there was a lack of interest within the registered home providers to participate. The Board will continue to emphasize quality to the registered home providers by providing funding for a Child Care Consultant within the two counties. The board also noted that Essex Child Care Center had gone from a Level 3 to a Level 4 within this fiscal year.

Number of credentialed family support/parent education programs.

C – Safe and supportive communities

State of Iowa – Office of Management

0

(2009)

0

(2009)

0

(2010)

1

( 2011)

Increase by 1 per year.

Analysis of data: The Board recognized that the Positive Family Program received their HFA accreditation in the spring of 2011. The two Growing Strong Families Programs (Fremont County and Page County) have been working toward acquiring accreditation through the Iowa Family Support Standards.

Page 24 (46.2%)
Two county average percent of abused children ages 0-5 (43.95%)

45

(2009)
Fremont 10 (41.7%)

Page 35 (50.0%)
Two county average percent of abused children ages 0-5 (45.85%)

22

(2010)
Fremont 4 (26.7%)

Page 18 (40.0%)
Two county average percent of abused children ages 0-5 (33.35%)

Number and percent of abused children ages 0-5, out of total number of abused children ages 0-17 is to be below the State average.

The 2010 State average for abused children ages 0-5 out of abused children ages 0-17 was 50.8%.

Analysis of data:

Fremont County saw a 40% decrease in the number of abused children ages 0-5 in 2010 from 2009.
Page County saw a 51% decrease in the number of abused children ages 0-5 in 2010 from 2009.

The 2010 average percent of children ages 0-5 for Fremont and Page Counties was 33.35%.The Board is hopeful that all of the regional education efforts in regard to child abuse prevention had a role in impacting the decrease in the number of children ages 0-5 being abused. The Board will continue to show support for the education efforts provided by Prevent Child Abuse Iowa, Community Partnerships for Protecting Children and the Fremont/Page Child Abuse Council.